Anne (she who must be obeyed) & I (Steve) are visiting CSA for our first time arriving mid November for 9 nights. Not long now!

Can I ask some questions?

a) The Virgin flight from London gets into MBJ around 17:45. Will most of the flights from North America have already landed, is it worth getting the Club Mobay VIP arrivals service to expedite the MBJ immigration & customs process which seems lengthy? We will definitely take the subsequent Departure option so we can enjoy a few drinks before we endure the flight back home. I havent flown Economy transatlantic in a long while so have upgraded to the Xtra Legroom/ Emergency Exit Seats!

b) We are both regular Club Tennis Players and play lower division matches ( C & D team level) for our local Tennis Club in Warwickshire in the UK. We have been on several Group Coaching Tennis Holidays in the UK, Spain, Greece & Turkey & usually always participate in the Social Tennis sessions in the Evening. What are the Tennis arrangements at CSA? We prefer playing Doubles Tennis also with others (we tend to bicker on Court!) & we enjoy making new friends by playing our Sport & socialising enjoying a drink or 2 afterwards.

c) After visiting St Lucia earlier this year I've become keen on Snorkelling. The night snorkelling at CSA sounds really great. My wife has some complicated feet issues so regular flippers dont always comfortably fit her, do they have the scuba "flippers" with just the strap at the back. Otherwise Anne will take her Jellies and wear those inside a bigger flipper to protect her heel. Presumably the flippers from Snorkelling & Scuba are all the same. Otherwise I'm thinking of visiting a specialist shop in the UK & getting these for her that are a custom fit before we leave.

d) I've opted for an Ocean Verandah, but then after booking & paying me money I hear about Building construction activities (via this Bulletin Board) in our Resort! UK travel companies don't typically allow this when selling their holidays so I'm surprised that CSA is actually open with this activity ongoing! As I'm fat & fifty I like my siesta in the afternoon (especially with a 5 hr time change) so I can subsequently party at Night! How bad is this Construction & should I be considering a swap to CN or alternative Couples by speaking to my UK travel agent. Will this be done by mid November? I originally decided on CSA because of the Tennis facilities. I know resorts have to renovate but in Europe usually the facility would shut, renovate, & then re-open subsequently

a) its a lottery! We arrived on a Sunday (Virgin flight) last February to an empty arrivals hall. Other times, the immigration hall has reminded us of Disney. I suggest you check on the flightstats website to see what else will be arriving when you are and then make a decision. In February we used ClubMoBay for departure and (although it was not necessary because once again the airport was not too busy) we enjoyed the facility. One thing though - make sure you read the immigration form very thoroughly (you will be given it on the plane) and fill it in carefully - so many people make mistakes that there are officials stationed at the bottom of the stairs at immigration to check your forms before allowing you to join the queues.

b) I'm sure someone else can answer your specific points. We don't play tennis but have met many others who do and who go to CSA specially for the tennis. One couple we have met several times go each winter for 6 weeks, just to play tennis!

c) cant help with this

d) the "construction" (refurbishment of the room blocks) is just happening in the new section ( your Ocean Veranda is in the new section). My suggestion would be to change to an Atrium suite in the old section (lovely rooms, very secluded and quiet). But as these rooms are probably the most sort after at CSA do it sooner rather than later. No I wouldn't swap to CN or another of the Couples resorts if its tennis that you are after.

First, I like how you understand the rules of a good marriage ;-). I love the tennis at CSA. I just answered a similar tennis question a couple of weeks ago for someone here so I'll cut and paste my answer about how we utilize CSA's amazing tennis program. There are lots of opportunities for social tennis, and the sports/vegie bar (which do they call it these days) is steps away from the courts, so tennis and then a beer or something healthier are very much a possibility. I don't know the UK rating system because it's different from the US, but you'll find players of all levels because so many choose CSA for the tennis. Here is what I wrote for the other person who asked:

I think tennis is the best reason to go to CSA (okay...there are about 150 other best reasons, but this is my favorite). On weekdays, there will be morning clinics and an evening round robin. In our 4 trips, we usually see intermediate through advanced players attending the "advanced" clinics. Advanced beginners through intermediate players will attend the intermediate clinics. The clinics are taught by a visiting USPTA pro who comes down for the week and who also runs the round robin. They vary from just okay to really awesome, depending on the week. I would recommend attending the clinic on your first morning or two to get a sense of if you think they are worth your time. These and the round robins are the best place to meet other players of your level for arranging games. The round robins are social, fun, and not very competitive at all.

In addition to the visiting pros, CSA has 4 (or maybe 5) on-site pros who are fantastic. You can arrange a 30-minute private lesson every day of your stay, including weekends with one of them. My current favorites are David and Brenton, and Ashford is also a really sweet man who I think is great with beginners-high intermediate players. The other 1 or 2 may be great too, I just haven't worked with them. One thing we have done on our visits, especially when the visiting pro has turned out not to be that fabulous, is to put together a couple of other players and combine our privates into a 60 min semi-private or a 90-minute doubles technique clinic. They are open to working with you how you wish. I love the tennis staff!

The courts are in great shape--half hard courts and half har-tru. They have racquets you can borrow and balls for your use, though we always bring our own racquets with us. Play early (or late) and stay hydrated because it gets hot! We usually order coffee and a very light continental breakfast to our verandah, go play tennis for 2-3 hours, have a full breakfast, and then head down to the beach. Perfect :-). Have a great time!

I can't answer a or c, but I can help with the tennis program and construction. The sports complex is the best and biggest on the island. They have hard and clay courts. You can reserve a court to play, get personal private lessons, play round robins with people in your skill level, or just hit around with a pro. You are going to be very happy with the tennis program. Lots of options and most of them are listed on the Couples website under activities.

As far as the construction.....the room we stayed in was recently renovated and they were currently renovating the room in front of us and to the side of us. Honestly, none of this construction really bothered me, but if it's a concern of yours, just let the customer service rep know of your concerns. They will put you in a room that is away from the buildings that are currently being renovated. They are very eager to get you in the room you want.

You have chose a great resort and I highly recommend the night snorkel. We did it for the first time this last trip and it was a highlight of our vacation. CSA is the best. Enjoy!

Thanks everybody for your valuable input. I've been really busy at work but have sent my travel agent / Couples UK sales office a mail tonight asking about the building activities in the ocean verandah area mid November. I don't want to be in a construction zone with jack hammering happening in the afternoon as I try and snooze off lunch! Let's see if I can change to the Atrium or try to upgrade & pay for a better Beachfront arrangement.